Haier Digital Inverter Refrigerator: The only Real Inverter, is it?
BY ALI NAQVI –
Haier Inspired Living is an idea that talks about an inspirational lifestyle and the people at large while positioning the brand much higher on the brand ladder. Assuming or placing itself to such an elevated position Haier as a brand has nosedived with its latest ‘Only Real Inverter’ campaign.
To begin with, the ‘only real inverter’ claim has not been justified at all. The market and the end users are well aware of the technicalities and benefits of inverter technology, thanks to brands like Orient that triggered the inverter revolution in the market with inverter air conditioners a few years ago.
Inverter as we know is a technology that converts Alternate Current (AC) into Direct Current (DC). In a DC inverter based appliance the speed of the compressor is regulated to control the flow of refrigerants, thus saving electricity in the process. In such an appliance the compressor always runs on DC current to perform the energy efficient function. The only distinction between inverters is DC Inverter and Full DC Inverter. A DC Inverter is one that has a Compressor which is DC, while the rest of the appliance runs on AC current. On the other Hand a Full DC or Complete DC Inverter is one in which all components of the machine runs on DC Current.
Haier has been campaigning on this very point for its Inverter Air Conditioners. It called and still calls its Air Conditioners Complete DC Inverters. Though the current TVC is of a DC Inverter product yet it tells nothing about the nature of its DC operation. Two notable features have been added namely Digital Control Panel and Temperature Control Sensors. Both these features have nothing to do with Inverter Technology. Such features could easily be added to any refrigerator without scruple.
A brand as reputed as Haier should not have gone into word gimmickry (digital inverter/real inverter) to lure the consumers. But this is not the only mistake Haier has made in this campaign. The TVC itself wastes a lot of time in establishing the question “what is a real digital inverter?” and the whole quest does not bear fruit in the end. There is a big disconnect between the initial buildup of the TVC and the final outcome. A refrigerator with digital control panel and temperature control sensor does not qualify to be called a real inverter.
Haier could have done justice to the brand idea “inspired living”. It could have gone back to the drawing board to devise a sound creative strategy with strong inspirational and emotional value. The TVC is too direct to communicate anything other than showing the product features. The brand attempts to compensate the lack of creativity with a topnotch production quality. We are living in a digital age where ideas matter more than the hefty budgets spent to enhance the production quality.
